Today marks two weeks since I completed Ironman Korea in a PB record time. I have taken things pretty easy since then, first week just short daily runs, last week adding in some easy gym, bike and swim sessions to the mix. Now having recovered I need to start making plans for going forward.

Normally this is the time of year when I would put triathlon on the back burner and focus on the simpler sport of running,  I had originally planned to make this year the year I qualify for Boston Marathon (I need an official marathon time of under 3:30 to qualify in my age group, as opposed to my current PB of 3:36).  However, recently I have been having other thoughts regarding my goals, and while I am not yet ready to make things official, it will involve some very intense training with an aim to make huge improvements on my triathlon times. I am also planning to write in detail about this new challenge, so it will involve not only a massive upgrade in my training routine but also spending time every day researching and documenting the journey. Coincidentally I received an email today from the Tokyo marathon organisers telling me I hadn’t managed to get through the lottery for a place in this years race, which I could take as a sign that this new challenge should be my focus.

I am going to have to spend some time planning and thinking things through, I will also have to make the decision if I am ready to commit to this whole project as it will really mean a change of lifestyle. However in the meantime, I will spend the next 1-2 weeks training hard, and getting outside as much as I can to bike and run. The weather is still pretty good with sunny days and longish evenings, even if not always so warm, so perfect for outdoor bike ride. One thing that was very obvious form the recent Ironman was that my lily white skin is proof of my lack of “time in the saddle” compared with the fixed tan lines of the other athletes. I really am a wimp about outdoor riding, so if I am serious about making the type of improvements I will need to make to achieve my goal, then getting out regularly will have to become the norm – and that will have to start now!

Watch this space for more info about this challenge, it’s massive and as mentioned will require a huge (I mean super huge) effort and commitment to happen. To be honest I actually don’t know if it’s even possible, but I will continue to get the run done(and the bike!), and hopefully will announce full details soon.